Ttk

My 1997 Ram 2500 Diesel is losing LOTS of oil. 100 miles and it can lose 1 gallon. I have tried to locate it but too much oil all over to find it.

I have some blowby as evidenced by smoke out the filler and drips from the tube.

My first guess was overfilling at a lube place. It was filled and then measured a few minutes later but the next day it shows high.

Even if too full at first, wouldn't it stop before I lost all oil pressure and need to add a gallon or more? Also, would blowby continue to spit out oil until I lose pressure?

I plan on adding PVC pipe to the blowby tube and routing it past the transmission to see if that isolates it.

The truck runs fine and starts right up.

gorms

A few things come to my mind....first, really need to see where the oil is coming from. Give it a quick degreasing, run it as long as you need to to find the leak. If you are making oil via a stuck injector open (not as common with the older trucks) the oil will smell like diesel and "grows".

Check also for any vacuum leaks, if there is a sizable leak it turns the vac pump into an air compressor into the crankcase. I don't know that it would make it leak that bad, but something easy to check.

If it was changed at a lube shop make sure the oil filer is not double gasketed from the old filter. A leak from the drivers side of the block is commonly the tappet cover (behind/under inj. pump) and check the front timing cover carefully for any holes if the KDP has not been addressed. Good luck.

Ttk

Degreasing is in the works but i only had 2 cans around so only cleaned the front part of the truck so far.

I have read about the vacuum leak but the threads say it would cause problems with the heater control and that works.

cdennyb

Also note that one of those do it yourself car washes usually have enough high pressure soap to easily de-grease that much oil and you don't end up too oil yourself doing it.
A quick rinse off and if you're close, by the time you drive home it'll be easily found on your newly cleaned engine components.

patdaly

Ttk, when the vacuum pump leaks, you don't lose vacuum, just leaks out at the shaft between it and the PS pump. That being said, you would see a fine stream if it were losing that much oil.

Possible it is just the front seal, but I would look VERY closely at your timing case, sounds like a classic KDP ( killer dowel pin )

Tate

If you have a large vacuum leak, the vacuum pump discharges the air into the crank case, which would appear as blow-by. For an actual oil leak, you are correct.